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Whistler Blackcomb is preparing for the 2009.10 season and we’re anticipating a very exciting year as we realize a five decade long dream of being the Official Alpine Skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
We are hearing many questions about access to the resort, access up the mountains and general "what's life going to be like during the Games." Some questions have answers, and some don't yet. What we do know forms the Olympic section of the Whistler Blackcomb website. This site will be updated as more information becomes available so that you can make decisions and plan for the best possible upcoming winter season.
Please continue to e-mail your questions to olympics@intrawest.com. Though we may not be able to respond to each question individually, this will help us identify missing information that needs to be answered and posted on this site.
Phase 1 of the Integrated Transportation Plan was released in March by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), in conjunction with its partners. The details contained in Phase 1 form the basis of the information currently on this site. Phase 2 of the transportation plan will be released this summer and Phase 3 will be released Fall 2009. Each phase will provide more detail for guests and local residents to fine-tune their plans for the coming season.
A vastly improved Sea to Sky Highway will be open and available throughout next season for access to and from Whistler. During the Games in February, parking in the Skier Day Lots and in Creekside will be unavailable as the lots will be used for Games staging. Details about parking during the Paralympic Games in March is expected to be announced in Phase 2 of the Integrated Transportation Plan – these plans are still being finalized.
A checkpoint along the Sea to Sky Highway will ensure that drivers traveling to Whistler during February have a place to park their car when they arrive in the resort. In addition, travelers will be asked to avoid peak Olympic travel times in order to minimize the traffic on the road during peak hours. Please note that the highway will not be closed during the games.
For guests staying overnight in Whistler, confirming whether your accommodation includes parking is imperative. If guests want to come up to Whistler Blackcomb for the day, plans are being developed to provide travel options. More information about this will be available in the coming months.
A "know before you go" communications campaign will be rolled out to ensure that all travelers clearly know what to expect, and what peak hours to avoid. Up-to-date transportation information will be provided through a transportation management centre during Games time.
Transportation around Whistler during the Games will be provided by a dramatically enhanced BC Transit system. From February 1, bus service will increase 246 percent in bus fleet size, from 39 to 135 buses, servicing Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton. Bus service will run 24 hours and will extend to include neighbourhoods that currently do not have bus service. The goal is to have bus stops within a 10 minute walk of 90 per cent of the homes in Whistler.
There will be a user fee for the bus service, but a designated "Olympic Pass" is being developed by the RMOW and BC Transit and information will be updated here as it becomes available.
For more information on parking and transportation during the Games check out the 2010 Transportation Update compiled by the Resort Municipality of Whistler in March 2009 or the VANOC Fact Sheet. Stay tuned for Phase 2 of the Integrated Transportation Plan to be released this summer.
Visiting Whistler Blackcomb during the Olympic year will not only be an exciting and memorable experience but a great time to ski or ride as well. Prior Winter Olympic hosts have experienced an “aversion factor” in the year of the Games and guests stayed away. People assume the mountains will be closed or too crowded or still under construction when in fact, none are the case in Whistler. With fewer guests expected on the mountains, skiers and riders next year will have a minimum of 7,500 acres to explore all season long, with more terrain groomed each night than any other resort in North America, and an annual snowfall average of 33 feet to enjoy.
Mountain access will be available all season long via:
Whistler Mountain:
Blackcomb Mountain:
The Creekside base is home to the Olympic and Paralympic Alpine Events. As such, this area will be the most affected by Games preparation and execution.
The Creekside Gondola will be closed to the public from February 1 to early March and will provide priority loading to Paralympic athletes and officials through to the end of the Paralympic Games on March 21.
While the Creekside Gondola is closed during the month of February, local residents and guests will be bussed to Whistler Village or the Blackcomb Base in order to access the mountains, by a dramatically enhanced BC Transit system. From February 1, bus service will increase 246 percent in bus fleet size, from 39 to 135 buses, servicing Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton. Bus service will run 24 hours a day and will extend to include neighbourhoods that currently do not have bus service. There is a goal to have bus stops within a 10 minute walk of 90 per cent of the homes in Whistler.
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will be fully open for the majority of the 2009-2010 winter season, weather permitting of course. During the Olympic and Paralympic period, which begins January 25 for course set up, over 90 percent of terrain will remain open with only the runs in the area of the race course on Whistler Mountain closed and training runs on both mountains closed. During the Paralympics in March, again over 90 per cent of the terrain will be open with only the race course and training runs closed on Whistler Mountain.
Whistler Mountain Run Closures (January 25 to March 27)
Whistler Mountain Run Closures (January 30 to March 27)
Whistler Mountain Run Closures - other
Blackcomb Mountain Training Run Closures (January 29 to February 28)
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will open as weather and snow conditions allow, with access from Whistler Village and the Blackcomb Base. Parking will be available in the Day Lots and Creekside, with minimal restrictions. Whistler Blackcomb’s official opening day is November 26, 2009.
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will open as weather and snow conditions allow, with access from Whistler Village and the Blackcomb Base. Parking will be available in the Day Lots and Creekside, with minimal restrictions.
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will be fully open (weather permitting) with access from Creekside, Whistler Village and the Blackcomb Base. Parking will be available in the Day Lots, with some restrictions, and limited Creekside parking (details TBD).
Visiting during Games-time will be a truly memorable experience with extraordinary events, excitement and vibrancy. Whistler Blackcomb will be 90 percent open with access to Whistler Resort via an enhanced BC Transit System for Squamish and Pemberton residents, private bus carrier or, for those with confirmed parking in Whistler, via the Sea to Sky Highway. More detailed transportation information to and around Whistler will be available this summer and fall as VANOC releases Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the transportation plan.
Access up the mountains will be from the Whistler Village Gondola, Excalibur Gondola and Fitzsimmons Express in Whistler Village and the Wizard Express at the base of Blackcomb.
Access from residential areas to Whistler Village or the Blackcomb Base will be provided by a dramatically increased BC Transit system. From February 1-28, bus service will increase 246 percent in bus fleet size, from 39 to 135 buses, servicing Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton. Bus service will run 24 hours a day and extend to include neighbourhoods that currently do not have bus service.
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will be 90 percent open. From early March through March 21, public access up the mountains will be available via the Creekside Gondola with a priority lift line available for Paralympic athletes, officials and spectators. Access up all other Village and Upper Village base lifts will also be available.
We are still working with VANOC to define the scope and scale of parking lot requirements for the Paralympic timeframe. Detailed information will be available this summer and fall as Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the transportation plan are released by VANOC.
Whistler Blackcomb will be open for normal operations with plenty of day parking available in Creekside and the Village lots.
Whistler Blackcomb will be open for normal operations for spring skiing, mountain biking and summer sightseeing and hiking with plenty of day parking available in Creekside and the Village lots. Day lots 1, 2 and 3 will become pay parking lots for summer 2010, while lots 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and Creekside will remain free.
With a capacity of more than 10,000 bedrooms in the resort, Whistler will offer visitors an exceptional variety of accommodation options throughout the 2009/2010 winter season. Accommodations range from branded and boutique hotels to condos, chalets and B&Bs. While rooms have already been reserved for many Olympic Family guests and media, the capacity of the resort allows for many spectators and other guests to stay in Whistler too.
Bookings are currently being taken for the Games. For Games-time reservations, please call the Official Central Reservations for Whistler Blackcomb where one of our Travel Consultants can assist you with the most up to date accommodations available.
Call Toll-Free 1-888-403-4727.
Alpine SkiingThe Alpine Skiing events will take place on Whistler Mountain and include Downhill, Super G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, and Combined. The Men's events will be hosted entirely on the Dave Murray Downhill, widely considered as one of the top 3 courses in the world. The Women's and Paralympic Alpine course will begin on Wild Card, swing over to Lower Jimmie's Joker, and wind its way down a portion of Franz's to finally join up with the Men's course on the Lower Dave Murray Downhill.
The entire Creekside base will be transformed during Games-time to accommodate facilities such as wax cabins, athlete's lounge, and security check posts. VANOC is installing a chairlift at Creekside to carry spectators, Olympic Family and officials from the base area to the Timing Flats. In all, this venue will be prepared to host a capacity crowd of 7600 people. After the Games, much of the overlay will be removed and Whistler Creekside will be a site for future international competitions and Canadian team training.
Nordic
Whistler Olympic Park, the Nordic Competition Venue is complete and will host all Nordic events: cross country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, and Nordic combined events.
The venue, open daily for public access hosts all competition facilities including two ski jumps, competition trails and training trails, as well as utility installation, access roads, parking lots, technical sport buildings, a day lodge and other related infrastructure. 55 kilometres of recreational trails, and access to the day lodge, are available for public use. Three separate, temporary stadiums will be in place for the Olympic Games; each will house 12,000 fans.
SlidingParalympicWhistler will host Paralympic Alpine Skiing, Biathalon and Cross-Country events.
All Paralympic alpine skiing events will take place on Franz's Run on Whistler Mountain.
All the Paralympic cross-country skiing and biathlon events will take place at Whistler Olympic Park. Competition courses include a 5-kilometre course for the standing classes and a 3.75-kilometre course for the sit-ski classes. Several kilometres of training trails will be available near the competition courses. A temporary and portable 10-metre biathlon range will be set up in the stadium for the biathlon events.
Highway 99 will remain open throughout next winter for anyone wishing to travel to and from Whistler. Some restrictions will occur during the Games, in particular around availability of parking. View our Access to Whistler information.
A dramatically enhanced Transit system will be implemented during the Games to facilitate travel around the resort. View our Access Around Whistler information.
Whistler Blackcomb terrain will be fully open for the majority of the 2009-2010 winter season, weather permitting of course. During the Olympic and Paralympic period, which begins January 25 for course set up, over 90 percent of terrain will remain open with only the runs in the area of the race course on Whistler Mountain closed and select training runs on both mountains closed. View our Access up Whistler Blackcomb and Terrain Open Sections
Picture this.
If groomers are your thing, enjoying more terrain groomed each night than anywhere else in North America and still enjoying the precious corduroy at noon.
Pretty epic, eh? Basically, skiing Whistler Blackcomb next season, particularly in February, will be what dreams are made of. Yes, there will be some additional effort required to get to the base but man, will it be worth it.
Stay tuned for season pass details as Whistler Blackcomb helps you plan for the most epic season EVER.
Day lot and Creekside parking will remain free for the 2009-2010 winter season.
Day lots 1, 2 and 3 will become pay parking for summer 2010. Day lots 4, and 5, upper parking lots 6, 7, 8 and the Creekside lots will remain free.
Yes, a wide variety of lodging options will be available throughout the winter season at very competitive prices, and bookings are currently being taken. Check out the Accommodation section of the site: For further information on Games-time specific booking view our Accommodation information
Yes, bookings are currently being taken for accommodation during the Games. For Games-time reservations, please call the Official Central Reservations for Whistler Blackcomb where one of our Travel Consultants can assist you with the most up to date accommodations available. Call Toll-Free 1-888-403-4727.
Whistler was designed to host the world 365 days a year – and for many years it has been welcoming more than two million annual visitors to its community.
On any given day, the resort can accommodate more than 30,000 overnight visitors, not to mention thousands of additional day visitors. The pedestrian-only village serves to ensure guests have convenient access to the entire Resort without the hassle of traffic. Plus, Whistler boasts more than 90 restaurants, bars and lounges and more than 200 retail shops. The town may have only 9,000 residents but its amenities and capacity rival that of many urban centres.
In addition to the competition events, there will be many celebration events, shows, and activities including the Olympic Arts Festival and Paralympic Arts Festival which will run throughout each of the Games. These festivals will celebrate B.C., Canadian and international arts and culture featuring First Nations, classical and contemporary music, theatre, dance, film, literary, visual arts, street entertainment and more. Skiing and riding on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains will also be available right through Games time.
Please note you do not need a ticket to view any of these events.
Yes. Six free Celebration Sites, dubbed Whistler Live, will be located in the main plazas throughout Whistler Village for the duration of the Games. Each site will feature a large screen where guests and residents alike can gather to watch the coverage of the days’ events and nightly medal ceremonies. In addition, each site will feature free daily and nightly entertainment including bands, performing artists, and theatre.
For Canadian residents, remaining tickets to both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are available at vancouver2010.com.
Non-Canadian residents must purchase tickets through the official ticket agent for their National Olympic Committee. For example, US residents (including Canadian citizens living in the US) must purchase tickets to the 2010 Winter Games through CoSport, a sister company of Jet Set Sports, the authorized ticket sales agent of the US Olympic Committee (USOC). For a list of National Olympic Committees and Official Ticket Agents who have chosen to participate in the Vancouver 2010 ticket program, go to vancouver2010.com.
Yes. Working with our hotel members and Tourism Whistler, early booking offers will again be available for winter 2009.10. Guests will be able to save significantly off their vacation price, if booked by a certain date later this fall. Stay tuned for further information on our website.
For more information about the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games visit vancouver2010.com
